The Mummy
by Froline el-Vasper
Summary: (Please take caution of the AN). Basically, it's a rewite of the mummy with certain characters added in, and more extensive scenes with the Med-Jai.
1. Prologue: Sand and Blood

AN: Alright folks...sighs I wanted to put something else up...and well...this is what I came up with. Now...c'mon who could pass up a good 80 pages...right? 'Specially some nice add-ins of the Med-Jai, right coughardethbaycough? Well...here's the skinny...

WARNING: Possible Mary-Sue content. The reading of such fan-fiction will increase Paranoia, Attention Deficit Disorder, Premature hair loss, The Head Pigeons Disease (think Invader Zim), Nuclear waste will enter your brain and you will inevitably perish... (the bell-toll of DOOM!)

Now...I may go back and try to re-arrange her (hey, I wrote this when I was thriteen...gimme a break...x.x;;), but for now...proceed at your own risk (complete with original Authors Note and artificially vanilla flavoured! All yours for 12.99! [couldn't resist sweatdrop]) ...and go on...flame if you must...but...just...have a look at my better developed stuff, ya? (Jesus! I've gotta stop playing FFX-2...AUGH!...sorry for the dorkdom insert...x.x;;)

The Mummy

**AN:** Okay, this is my first fic (well, not really...I have on another website based on Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness from Ortega's POV...okay that was really irrelevant...) I know I should get on with the story. This is _My_ version of "The Mummy"(It takes a while but you'll see), All the Characters (Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, Ardeth Bay, Imhotep, and Anak-Su-Namun...hey if you don't see anyone that you don't recognize then they're mine(sometimes, I like to be mean to my characters... but hey don't we all...) pause ...MWA HA HA HA HA!!!...ahem heh-heh...okay...)they aren't mine and all the legal stuff, blah, blah, blah...ZZZZ (Steven Sommers kicks ass by the way...) ZZZZ. It gets quite boring so...(I really wish they were mine...specially Ardeth(Oded)...sigh...). BUT, I'll tell you which characters are mine, Caley (tell me if she's a tight-blouse wearing bitch...I'll change her if you think that she is, so that she has more IQ) Ahmed, Jarim, Devin, Asim, Sami, Wadid, and Siad are mine (You'll see as the plot unfolds...don't start beating me up on the ship's name now (at Giza Port)! It's really cheezy!) I'd rate this PG-13 (does it really matter? I mean people will read it anyway, they like anything with blood gore and all that other good shtuff, heh-heh) So...sorry to bore you (kind of a long AN but I'm prone to these things...Think large cardboard box...yeeesssss...) Here we go....

**P r o l o g u e : S a n d a n d B l o o d **

The morning unfolded with a blossoming sun that washed the sand in a pinkish, yellow color. The ruins stood like large sentinels keeping watch over a small camp, their shadows casting long wraith like shapes. Large obelisks and pillars lay smashed on the ground, their sand-stone features glimmering in the young light. The others that stood were crumbling but provided enough protection against marauding Tuareg warriors. The stars were still giving their dying glow along with the moon, a pale ship that gave a pristine and crisp feel to the cool air.

A single figure stood gazing out onto the vast sea of sand that began to absorb the livid heat of the sun. His brown hair was still tousled from sleeping, or at least of what he could get of it. He couldn't have slept, thinking about the day ahead was enough. He knew they were going to lose. His pale blue eyes scanned the ruins, seeming to look for an omen of some sort. He wore a white shirt with his jacket open, letting it catch in the faint desert wind, and light brown issued jodhpur that fit into his boots, worn from marching. He had two pistols tucked into his belt, one on either side. The sun glinted off them, showing what had to be done today. This man had no idea what was going to happen to him.

This was Richard O'Connell.

The war that was going on had kept him well awake, the strategy of doing well and not to get so many of the soldiers killed. The Tuaregs were fighting them for Hamunaptra, City of the Dead. No one knew much about it, except the Arab storytellers on the streets. Many did not believe much about the stories that hat had told, or more likely "woven". Rick didn't believe it that much. Only when he was a little boy, as an orphan running away. He had listened to them to hear the stories about the ancient curses, and most of all, adventure. He remembered that inspired him to join the French legion. He loved Egypt, he had lived in Egypt since the last he could remember, but he wasn't a native.

He kept on staring out into the space as a faint breeze passed over the dunes, in the likeness of the last, dying breath of the night, letting her sister take over, giving the world life again. He heard footsteps behind him, the crunching of sand. It was slow and limping. O'Connell felt a sudden pang of fear slowly creep over him, like a brief shadow in the wake of the sun's passing. He removed one firearm from his belt, and slowly pulled back the hammer, giving a small click that was only audible to him. The limping continued and when the time was right, O'Connell turned around, quick and sharp, frightening his comrade, Beni.

Beni was a tall, thin, bony man. He was a Frenchman that believed in quite a few religions, especially stealing from various holy places along the way to Egypt. He had learned the Hebrew language that way, and was very good at it. "O'Connell!," Beni stared down the barrel of the gun, "Uh...Hello..." O'Connell put his pistol away and clapped the Frenchman on the shoulder. "Sorry, Beni, I just don't think that I can trust anyone today, or at least when we're here,"

"You though I was a Tuareg, eh,"

"Yeah, pretty "

O'Connell looked around a bit then kept his gaze onto one standing obelisk, the sun washing it in a blood red. This was the omen that Rick was seeking. Fear slightly kept her hand around his heart, teasing him with her sick romantic ways.

"Today is going to be a day that I'm not going to forget,"

A single warrior on a black horse rode from a cliff that overlooked a small camp. He had watched the small encounter with the strong man and the small skinny one. The warrior's black robes fluttered in the wind, he wore a veil that covered his face to protect himself from the sand that the wind kicked up. His face, what could be seen of it, was covered in strange puzzle-like tattoos. His light brown eyes scanned the desert for any movement.

He rode back to where the others were. They too were all dressed in black robes, four of them watched him come. There were two of the Council Elders, the second in command, and the chieftain of the Med-Jai. The warrior removed his face cover as the chieftain of the Med-Jai asked him in arabic, "What have you observed, Jarim?"

Jarim was a young Med-Jai, but he was not useless. He gave the Med-Jai commander a small smile, "Some more fools have come to try and take Hamunaptra,"

The others looked at each other making small remarks, some chuckling to themselves. Ardeth Bay, the chieftain of the Med-Jai, shook his head, and gave a look to his second in command and his closest friend, Rashid. Ardeth was a tall, dark, handsome man. He had long hair that went past his shoulders, and he wore a black turban. His angular face was touched with the puzzle like tatoos, as well as a dark beard. His dark eyes looked past Jarim to the horizon, watching the sun rise, wondering why people fought over the City of the Dead , "How many?"

"I do not know, but I think there are at least three hundred," less remarks but more laughter. Ardeth thought this was one of the most piteous things he had heard yet. Why would someone wait in the middle of the Sahara Desert just to be killed by Tuaregs, or did they know something about Hamunaptra that they did as well? Ardeth though this over quickly then looked to Ahmed, the seventh elder and as well as being the closest to him, making him like an uncle even they had no blood relation of any sort, "Go, get the others. We will watch this bloody spectacle, to see if anything goes wrong," Ahmed gave him a confused look "Anything goes wrong?"

"I think they know something that we do,"

Ahmed nodded then turned his horse and rode away in a gallop. The rest of the Med-Jai watched him go. They brought their horses close to the cliff's edge. Ardeth looked onto the camp and saw their colors flying: the French. Ardeth's father had taught him what some of the flags looked like. Ardeth's father had died about three years ago and he still felt pained. He loved his father very much, the only parent he had. His father had taught him most of everything he knew. That he needed to keep watch over The City of the Dead for all of his life. Most felt a bit uneasy, that such a young man could become the leader of the Med-Jai so early.

They were very concerned when he first came to rule. The Elders believed in him, but Ardeth was an arrogant man before he had actually learned anything from his uncle in Cairo. He had learned much, and had become practical over time, but if he needed to take a risk, he would take it. Being the leader of the Med-Jai wasn't as easy as he had thought. He knew it was going to be difficult, but not this difficult.

Ardeth stared out at the small camp and knew something was going to change his life today, he didn't know in what form, or in what proportions, he just knew and he wouldn't question or analyze his thoughts. Something was waiting...waiting for him.

It was about mid-afternoon when the French troops had all assembled and were all looking around Hamunaptra to see what lay beneath the sands. O'Connell never liked the desert and never intended to return, but the troops dragged him out there with many others and now they were in this wasteland of nothing and for nothing.

He had wished that he knew what the hell was the General thinking when they set out here. He was a weak man, a cowardly weak man that would lead them all to their deaths. Nothing interesting was happening, and the worst part of it was that it was the hottest part of the day. Sweat began to curve and twist down Rick's cheekbones before being absorbed into the skin again. Everyone was talking or trying to find something or some way underground. Rick shook his head. Why would some people believe these tales woven with great care to make it all seem real? Maybe it was because of the treasure. Or it could have been the book of Amun-Ra, made out of solid gold.

A scout running, yelling at the top of his lungs, interrupted Rick's musings. Rick walked up to the young man who was about fifteen or sixteen when he crossed his path. "What's wrong?"

"The Tuaregs! They're attacking!!!" The boy ran off to see the General and O'Connell as many others ran to get their rifles. Some ran to a wall that was at least a half-mile long, while others managed to climb on top of the two large walls that stretched for about seventy feet and was a good seventy foot drop down below to the sand, to death.

While all this was happening, they could hear the war cries of the Tuareg being screamed out, like an angry beast. And that's when O'Connell saw them coming. There were at least a thousand of them on galloping horses, speeding, raising dust, and their scimitars held high, mullioning a few times. Their white tassels of their turbans streaming out behind them.

Their General rode up to expect some other sight, maybe less Tuaregs, but when he saw them he gave a surprised yelp, unsheathed his saber, hit his horse with the flat of it, and rode away as fast as he could go. Beni and O'Connell looked behind themselves and the fleeing General then at each other, rifles still aimed. "He just got promoted," Beni shrugged and O'Connell shook his head, aiming his gun at the oncoming Tuaregs, "STEADY!!!" They were coming closer with each increasing heartbeat, adrenaline speeding, pulsating. Beni dropped his rifle and ran screaming after the General "Wait for me!!!". O'Connell shook his head again, "STEADY!!!" He screamed again, this time in spite of himself, He couldn't delay any longer, he was afraid that he would say the word too late and they would all be killed, every last one of them. "FIRE!!!" O'Connell squeezed the trigger and hit a Tuareg. It knocked the warrior off his horse and fell to the ground, being trampled by the other horses. The other gunshots echoed and resounded, making O'Connell's ears ring, even though he had heard he sound of gunshots before.

Many Tuaregs and horses fell, but that was hardly any of them. The Tuaregs came back with a force so great that they hit may men off the two great walls, falling to their deaths, hitting the ground with a thud. Many of their limbs at very odd angles and bones sticking out of the skin, but blood soaked the sand in many places.

The French fired again but the desert warriors over took them, easily, unsheathing their scimitars and slitting their enemies throats. They lay on the sand as death claimed them, eyes opened with a thin milky film over them, and skin pale, left for food for the animals. O'Connell was finishing his last rounds of his rifle hitting a warrior here and a horse there. Soon there were too many and he began to back up. He dropped his rifle and pulled out two pistols and began to fire them hitting many, but not enough. Sweat dripped into his eyes and made them sting, as he kept on shooting. He ran out of ammo trying to shoot again, not believing it. His mind screamed at him to run, which he did, quickly pulling out a pistol, being followed by the Tuaregs.

Rick saw that Beni hadn't gotten far, both sprinting for their lives, the sand slipping under their feet. Up ahead, there was a tower worn down by wind, sand and time, but Rick didn't have time for his artistic side. "Beni," Rick screamed "Get inside! Get inside!!!" But Beni seemed to have other plans. As soon as the skinny Frenchman reached the tower he began to push this large slab of obsidian rock closed, "Don't you close that door!!" O'Connell screamed at Beni. Beni stopped, as if to listen to him, then his eyes widened in terror as he saw the Tuaregs behind Rick and he proceeded to shut it "Don't you close that door!!" Rick screamed again, but Beni didn't listen. He never did.

Rick reached the door as soon as it closed, he was in the niche of the door and was about to run out when suddenly bullets hit the stone letting small, minute shards and dust fall from the building. Rick ducked then ran for his life through the ruins. He sped through as the warriors were in hot pursuit. O'Connell saw a fallen pillar in the way so he dived then rolled, and heard a small thud. Rick spun around fast to see that it was his pistol. He panicked and tried to regain it, but a few shots from a sub-machine gun quickly changed his mind. He looked up at four Tuaregs speeding towards him. Rick sprinted again, his body screaming at him, until he reached a dead end.

_No way out_. Rick looked at the wall ahead of him wishing it was a mirage, but he knew that it wasn't. He heard the cocking of guns and he turned around slowly, with both of his hands up. _This is it_, Rick thought, _I'm a dead man now. _He shut his eyes expecting to hear gunshots and feel a burning pain, but he heard the horses whinny and exclamations in arabic, and heard them ride away.

Rick slowly opened one eye, looked around, and then the other. O'Connell wasclearly confused and didn't have the slightest idea to what had happened. His heart stopped racing and even though he really didn't believe in god he began to thank him. Suddenly, as if a slight breeze passed though the desert, he heard words not in any language that spoke dust, that wheezed and mumbled from the years scattered to the winds. He turned around and nearly jumped to see the statue of Anubis worn down by time, stripped of it's paint, then the faint barking of jackles could be heard and then the sand exploded moving in a certain way, felling Rick, choking him, making him cough, as an eerie sight filled the sand.

It was that of a face...

The battle was done, blood soaked the sand and was splattered on the walls. The Med-Jai had observed and saw that nothing had gone wrong, except the battle and many bodies had been strewn across the ground. Ahmed had brought back the other four Med-Jai. The Tuaregs had left in fear of the statue of Anubis. Ardeth breathed silent sigh of relief. The Creature had remained undisturbed.

Suddenly, there was a flash of movement. The Med-Jai looked down onto a man with brown hair running, then he stopped, noticing someone looking at him. He stared straight back at them. Ardeth then noticed that this man would play a large role in his life.

"And what of this one?" One of the council elders asked "Should we kill him?"

"No," Ardeth said, he knew that he couldn't kill him "The desert will kill him," He looked back at Jarim. Jarim had never seen so many people killed in one day. His expression was that of shock and confusion, but it was subtle and a bit onerous to differentiate the changes in his face.

"Jarim, go bring the other council elders and a few more warriors so we can bury the dead and make sure if there are any survivors," Ardeth doubted there were but, just to be safe. Jarim nodded, still slightly dazed, then rode off quickly becoming a black speck in the vast desert. Ardeth gave one look back at the disappearing warrior, then turned back to the bloody motif and rode down to the City of the Dead.

AN: wide eyed holy freaking shite...I wrote so much when I was a whelpish urchin of only 13...and smarter too...wait. how'd that happen...


	2. Part One: Adventure is Reborn:: Chapter ...

AN: Not so popular with the public, huh? I thought so...sighs well, that's alright, because I got one review!!

Brunette: Thank you very much for reviewing! So...you have let me continue the story. I've been working on Caley's character a bit (you will see who she is soon...) So...just have fun with it, right?

Okay...and here we go...

**P a r t O n e : A d v e n t u r e i s R e b o r n**

**C h a p t e r O n e : C a i r o , 1 9 2 3 (Three years later)**

The day had opened into a lovely blue sky, with barely any clouds. The bustling streets of Cairo had still made it a wonderful day, for tourists. It was a vast city, but it showed what the westerners could do to a city. It was a place of learning, but that was only in the heart of the city.

Closer towards the outskirts, it was very dirty and a corrupt place. There were opium dens, in which locals would cloud their minds with delirium and pleasant phantasms, and look at each other through latticed windows. Whorehouses were not far away from that, mistresses of the night lured young men off the street, inside where some heated passions were being explored. The merchants, annoying as ever, stuffing their wares into passing masses faces, yelling out how much they were and what they were, seeing if their customers were persons with money or if they fools.

The Museum of Antiquities was inside the heart of the city; a large building made of grey stone that had a small driveway in front, with palm trees on either side. Many westerners would come and go through out this museum of learning, exploiting it. Inside, there was a large variety of books, artifacts and exhibits all describing the history, current and past, of Egypt.

In one library, Miss Evelyn Carnahan was on a ladder, putting some books in order. She wore the typical twenties dress; black, high button shoes, a khaki skirt, and a white blouse. Her brown hair was done up in a bun, her grey blue eyes were behind round tortoise-shell glasses, inquisitively glancing at the spines of the ancient books. "... Seti the first, Seth volume one, volume two and volume three and Tu-"she looked at the book that she was holding "Tuthmoses! What are you doing here? Let's see here, "T"..." Evelyn scanned the bookcase then looked at the one across from her "Ah! T!" Then she picked up the remaining books and put them on top of the book shelf. "I am going to put you back where you belong,"

She reached across from her. It was along reach but she almost had it. She went a bit further...further...then the ladder gave a loud creak before standing straight up, Evelyn gave a loud yelp, dropping the book, which gave a loud thud. She managed to keep her balance, her heart racing, "Help..." She said silently

"Evy!" a voice rang out, Evelyn managed to look in the direction is was coming with out falling. It was their parents' ward, Caley, who cataloged artifacts, more than books. Caley's grey eyes scanned for her friend, and she kept on walking, looking for her. Her long brown hair was tied back, away from her face She wore olive green trousers and a white sleeveless shirt with a black cardigan.

She looked a bit disheveled but she didn't seem to mind. What she was thinking about was the heavy load of books that she was carrying "Evy!!" She called out again her voice echoing through out the room, no answer. She sighed and deposited the books on the nearest table. Caley brushed a stray lock of hair from her face as she leaned back on the table, "Evy?" She said a bit meekly. "Hello?"

Suddenly there was another yelp and Caley turned round to see Evy on the ladder, holding on for dear life. "Caley, please help me get down!" Evy's British accent resounding through the room.

"How in the name of Horus did you get up there?" Caley stepped up cautiously, afraid if she came too close that Evy would fall. Evy turned a one-eighty and she gave out another yelp "I'll explain later, can you please get me down?!" Caley walked up warily towards the ladder "Okay, hang in there, Evy," She was just about to grab the ladder when catastrophe struck.

Evy screamed as the ladder crashed into the bookshelf, into the next, and into the next, playing a deadly game of dominoes and finally all of the bookshelves hit the ground. Both women looked at each other in horror while the dust was clearing and the pages were still falling from the air. Evy's glasses were on her face in an odd position, as she took them off she sighed very quietly as if the rest of the air was so fragile that it would break ,"Oops,"

**(An hour before)**

Ardeth, Rashid, and Jarim walked down the alleyways of Cairo towards the Museum of Antiquities. Unfortunately, they had to go through the outskirts. Ardeth had a slight smile on his face, remembering the first time he came here, hating what ever he saw in this dirty and cramped hell hole. He was surprised that they still called it a city, but it had improved from the last time he saw it. That wasn't the only reason he was smiling. He hadn't seen his uncle in some time and he had missed him. Dr. Omar Bay wore a suit to work as being the curator of the Museum, but being the brother of the former leader of the Med-Jai, he wore a red sash round his waist and a red fez.

Jarim had some problems of his own when they were in the brothel district. The houses were very close together and lines of laundry hung from one side to the other. People huddled in the corners looking sickly and pale. And the whores were leaning on the sides of the buildings, even on the outside where was an occasional man and woman making out. Jarim walked quickly away turning his face to the ground. So many women tried to take Jarim off the narrow street but he just ignored them, because he was "so young and handsome". Although, when they were almost finished of getting out of this disgusting place, one woman sauntered from leaning on a dusty and grimy wall. Ardeth and Rashid were well ahead, shooing away women of their own.

She made sure that Jarim couldn't get away, "Hello," She smiled seductively as she snaked an arm around his neck. Jarim noticed that she was much older that he was, old enough to be his mother, which made him want to retch. She was dressed in very revealing rags that she didn't seem to care about, and had cuts and scars all over her body as it looked like from beating. She reminded Jarim of an old camel. Jarim began to feel very uncomfortable and smiled uneasily as he tried to back away from the courtesan, which made her only laugh, a loud cackle. She licked her lips, and headed towards him. He began to feel intimidated by this woman, feeling his heart thudding in his chest. Ardeth and Rashid began to wonder where Jarim was until they looked behind them. They saw the poor sixteen year old being hustled indoors by a very unsightly woman, and he was obviously trying to prevent it. Ardeth sighed and looked towards the sky "Allah, save him," and they both went to save Jarim from his "lovely" mistress.

Jarim tripped over the steps into the whorehouse, falling to the wooden floor. Other courtesans gave yelps and then saw one of their "sisters" going for this young man. Jarim abruptly stood up and suddenly felt light headed as black spots flew in front of his eyes. She was going to bring him inside a room when he managed to muster up enough courage, strode forward and threw her roughly aside. He expected her to fall to the floor and break down, but she had braced her self and was only shoved back a few mere feet. "Oh, so you want to play rough, do you?" She smiled showing what was remaining of her teeth. "I like a man who wants to play rough," He tried to speak, but she him forced up against a wall stroking a hand gently against his cheek but he batted it forcefully away "Well, the panther still has claws, eh?" and was about to kiss him when he heard someone else enter and the whores quickly move aside. Jarim felt too relieved to feel embarrassed as he saw Ardeth and Rashid enter.

Rashid stiffly looked round, feeling pity for these girls who had to live like this. Ardeth seemed to ignore his surroundings, and stalked forward. The woman turned and didn't know what was coming. Ardeth took her rigorously by the shoulders and slammed her into a wall. The whores gasped, and yelped, giving each other worried glances. Ardeth gave her a hard stare "Be careful of who you choose next time," his voice was as cold as ice as he let her drop to the floor. The woman pressed herself against the wall. Ardeth took Jarim by the arm and pulled him out of the brothel.

As soon as they were outside, Jarim was expecting some harsh words from the chieftain of the Med-Jai. Ardeth gave him a harsh look then covered his face with his hand and began to laugh helplessly, as Rashid did too. Jarim was confused, but then Ardeth put a comforting arm round his shoulder, "Just call out for us when you need help, and definitely be more careful next time," Jarim smiled and nodded, still not sure exactly of what was going on.

Some people stared at them when they emerged from the alleyway. Jarim, being only sixteen, was a bit embarrassed by the tourists curious gazes and laughing behind one hand, the rich men being protective of their lady companions in large frilly dresses. He just looked down at the sidewalk. But Ardeth and Rashid ignored them, keeping to their own thoughts.

When they reached the back of the Museum, Ardeth looked at them both "You need to stay here, I'll be back soon. I'll go get you if anything happens," Rashid, nodded while Jarim gave him a confused look. Jarim was about to ask a question, but Ardeth had already disappeared into the back of the Museum. Jarim, turned to Rashid "We came all this way just for our leader to go inside a museum?" Rashid smiled, "Jarim, he is going to see an old friend," Jarim nodded "Well, I just hope it isn't one of the mummified pharaohs on display," Rashid's green eyes flashed, then laughter overcame the two.

Ardeth walked down the corridors looking for his uncle's office. After passing many afraid employees, he came upon his office. He knocked on the door, and couldn't help but smile to himself. "Come in," He heard from inside. It sounded like his uncle was a very busy man. He opened the door, "Uncle Omar," That was all Ardeth had to say. Dr. Omar looked up from his work then smiled "Ardeth! What a pleasant surprise!" Dr. Omar stood up and the two men embraced each other. Dr. Omar smiled at his nephew. "Please, have a seat," Ardeth sat down in a chair across from his uncle and Omar resumed his seat.

"So...how are you doing?"

"Oh, fine. Ahmed, has missed you much, and so has the rest of the tribe,"

"Have any fools tried to take Hamunaprta?"

Ardeth nodded "Yes, every moon or so they come in small numbers no really expecting who comes to get them," Ardeth and Dr. Bay stayed silent for a moment both thinking what could happen if The City of the Dead was discovered and _He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named_ was awakened. Ardeth quickly brushed off the thought, He knew that The Creature wouldn't arise for some time. "I thought there was going to be some help around here, other than those whimpering employees,"

Omar rolled his eyes "Don't make me start Ardeth, There is a girl who is the most clumsy thing alive. She tries to do her best but everything that she does, she demolishes and tries to make everything work, but she makes it even worse. I had a copy of a scroll that had described the exact details of the Hanging Gardens in Babylon. It was passed down to me from

Al-Jiwad ibn Sheram, almost two thousand years old. I was sitting right here and She was in the room so I told her to hold it while I went to go get another book, I had an oil lamp on the table, for better lighting...She opened the scroll over the oil lamp and..." Omar sighed, "she burnt it, all of it, and nearly this desk," He tapped a long black scar on the table top. Ardeth shook his head, with a slightness of an amused smile, "I'm sorry to hear that,"

Omar raised both eye brows "That's not all I suffer. The girl's brother has become a drunk, after their parents died. He sells me the worst kind of things, shards of porcelain that he said were from a 'dig' that he went to. I've inspected them more closely and they are only old pots that he just finds on the street. Going through all that work for nothing, and maybe the worst thing that he's done is that he was so drunk that he had a hangover in _my_ library, and he ruined seven books on Aristotle and Herodius that were from _your_ father...And this other girl, she was the ward of their parents. She can do _some_ useful things. She can catalogue artifacts very well. Cataloguing books..." Dr. Bay laughed sardonically, but quietly "I won't even let her near them. She can't even put them in the right order and..."-Dr. Bay sighed-"well, enough about my problems. Did it take you long to get here?"

Ardeth stayed quiet for a moment then could not suppress his laughter any longer. It was so amusing, listening to his uncle ramble on about these people that had been ruining his museum as well as his life. It was sad to think about it that way, but what had made him laugh was how Dr. Bay had so quickly changed the subject. Ardeth nearly fell out of his chair with laughter, and soon Dr. Bay found himself laughing.

When everything had calmed down, Dr. Bay looked at his nephew "Well, did it take you long to get here?" Ardeth smiled "I...I guess you could say that. We had to go through the...brothel district...and..." Omar's eyes widened, with a confused smile

"You went through...what?!"

"There was a...a... what do you call it..."

"...A road block?"

Ardeth nodded "Yes, some sort of westerner ritual going on...anyway, a courtesan tried to lure Jarim off the street," Dr. Bay shook his head "How old is he now?" Ardeth smiled "Sixteen...I don't think I need to go into any details about what happened," Dr. Bay smiled back "You are very right about that my nephew," Dr. Bay smiled again "He reminds me of you," Ardeth leaned forward in his seat "Really?"

"Well, yes. In fact I have a story to tell you. When you were about five years old, you decided to take your fathers scimitar and show to everyone that you were a great warrior..." Ardeth chuckled at that, and Dr. Bay continued "So, your father, some Council Elders, and I were talking when you suddenly burst into the tent holding the scimitar aloft, shouting at the top of your lungs, 'I am a great warrior!'...but, the sword was too heavy for you and before anyone could take it from you, you fell on it, nearly killing yourself." Ardeth shook his head then smiled "So that was why my father was afraid to train me," Dr. Bay laughed "Yes, he was. That's why he had told me in the last months of his life that I should protect you at all costs, what ever happens,"

"But, uncle, I can take care of myself, I'm twenty-one, almost twenty-two, now,"

Dr. Bay said nothing but was trying to suppress his laughter and his smile. Ardeth gave him a confused smile "What is it, uncle?" Omar smiled "I just think maybe...someone should be taking care of...you," Ardeth knew what he meant and now it was his turn to roll his eyes. Dr. Bay began to laugh at his nephew's reaction and Ardeth gave him a cynical smile. "Uncle...I have no time for love. How am I supposed to watch over The City of the Dead, when I have some...woman...fussing over me," His uncle smiled at that "Well, your father found you mother, and his father did, and his father before him did and so the cycle ensues...The Med-Jai need an heir, Ardeth, you just can't let us...die out. I'll make a promise with you. I'll live to the day to see you fitted with a wife, so help me Allah," Ardeth raised both hands in defeat "I don't know how my father managed to get on with his life,"

"You will, you..." Suddenly there were two loud screams then a crash upon crash upon crash. Ardeth and Dr. Bay exchanged quick glances and then they both rushed out of the library.

"This isn't good, is it?" Caley broke the long silence and Evelyn just looked around the library in utter shock. Hundreds and hundreds of book were compiled to make up this wonderful collection, and now it was all brought to the ground by two women, who had the most infinite respect for it. Evelyn let out a traumatized sigh "I don't think so...the curator will have our heads if we don't do something," Caley gave Evelyn a look "Well, what are we going to do about it hide it in the closet?" Evelyn looked at Caley as if she had discovered Seti I in some remote unheard of place. "You know, that might just work," Caley sighed and shook her head.

In that silence, the both women heard hurried footsteps and some talking along the lines of "...if those confounded girls have ruined my library..."

"Uncle, be reasonable. Why don't you give them a chance?"

"Because if I do they will probably take something else into their hands and then destroy it all..." Evelyn and Caley flinched and looked at each other with shock written all over their faces. They were about to run when suddenly they heard a gasp and a few broken words of unnerved shock were exclaimed. Caley and Evelyn turned to see Dr. Bay all in a fluster, walking on top of a bookshelf looking round for an explanation, when suddenly his gaze turned on the two women. He paused briefly as he looked at them both not expecting that they would quell his whole library. Only one word managed to escape his mouth "You," nearly slipping he made his way towards them "Sons of the pharaohs!! Given Frogs, Flies, Locusts...anything but you!! Compared to you the plagues were a joy!!"

Caley excused Evy and herself, "I'm so sorry, Dr. Bay. It was an accident..." Dr. Bay seemed to calm down "My dear, when Ramses destroyed Syria, that...was an accident, the both of you...are a catastrophe!!! Look at my library! Why do I put up with you?!" Dr. Bay really wasn't expecting an answer but Evelyn quickly chimed in "Well...well, you...you put up with _me_ because...because I can read and write ancient Egyptian...and...and I can decipher hieroglyphics and hieratic..and...and well, I am the only person within a thousand miles that can , and...and catalogue this library, that's why!!" Dr. Bay's eyes began to pop "I put up with you because your mother and father were our finest patrons, that's why!!" His voice changed to a calm and quiet one "Allah, rest their souls," Then he resumed to yelling "Now...I don't care how you do it, I don't care how long it takes...STRAIGHTEN UP THIS MISCHIVA!!!"

The curator stormed out of the library, muttering a few things in arabic under his breath. Caley shook her head as he went out, and then looked back to Evy who looked quite upset. "Oh, Evy..." Caley walked over to her and put a comforting arm around her, then looked round what remained of the library "We'll get this fixed up, don't worry," Evy raised both eyebrows "How?" Caley racked her brain for an answer but nothing came, It would take many months to clean this up and pay for all the damage, and new books, but some were antiques. She sighed then did the instinctive thing. She began to pick up stray books that lay all over the floor.

"Well, I'll help, Evy. I'd like to, I kinda feel obligated to anyway." She placed the books on a nearby table that hadn't been crushed by the heavy cedar book cases. "Well..." Evelyn began but there a crash was heard from a room nearby, which made them both start. Caley quirked an eyebrow "I really hope nothing else broke...". Evelyn picked her way over the bookcases and called something out behind her "I'll be back in a few minutes,"

Caley opened her mouth to speak but she felt it was useless as Evy turned the corner headed towards "The Mummy Room". _So she's just gonna leave me here to clean up the library, _Caley thought _Great. Me and my big mouth..._ She began to pick up more of the books, then shook her head, knowing this would be hopeless.


End file.
